


Because Dragons

by KazOfScotland



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Asexual Character, Asexual Charlie Weasley, Coming Out, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:00:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26319100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KazOfScotland/pseuds/KazOfScotland
Summary: Four times that Charlie Weasley was questioned by his mum as to why he wasn't dating someone and he didn't want to answer, and the one time that Molly asked and he answered her with the truth.Written for the HP Ace Fest and the prompt:Ace Charlie coming out to his mum who questioned why he was her only child not dating.
Relationships: Bill Weasley & Charlie Weasley, Charlie Weasley & Molly Weasley
Comments: 8
Kudos: 72
Collections: Harry Potter Ace Fest 2020





	Because Dragons

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/188770186@N05/50310708983/in/dateposted-public/)

Charlie Weasley loved his family more than anything else in the world. They were what he classed as most important, but he also worked in another country for a reason. It was easier for him to hide who he was from his parents whilst being himself when he was in Romania. But then he missed his brothers and sister, and his parents, despite his mum’s constant badgering for him to meet a nice girl and settle down. Something that would never happen as far as he was concerned. 

The first time his mum questioned why he wasn’t dating was when they went to Egypt. He had barely entered his 20s, and it annoyed him more than he wanted to admit that his mum was expecting him to be dating. It wasn’t as if Bill was in a relationship at the moment, so the expectation that he should be, annoyed him. 

It had been an amazing holiday, but he was missing getting to spend his time in Romania. He had moved there as soon as he had graduated from Hogwarts. The lure of studying dragons had been too much to keep him at home, and it also gave him a chance to escape his mum and her overbearing need to ensure that he and Bill knew that they were expected to settle down and give her the grandchildren that she wanted. 

The conversation, the one where she questioned why he never told her of the girls that he was dating, happened the day before they were due to go home. Ginny, Ron and the twins had been playing in the pool, whilst Bill supervised them. His father had disappeared off to explore some muggle attraction that he had found, so that left just him and his mum. Now he loved his mum, but sometimes he really wished that she would leave off pushing him on the girlfriend front. 

“Charlie, when are you going to tell me about your girlfriends?” his mum asked, as he was sitting quietly in the outdoor area. He was planning on relaxing and reading some of the books that he had to read before he went back to the Dragon Sanctuary. He had hoped that he would have time to catch up on his studying before his mum sought him out to question his plans for a relationship. 

She had tried a few times during the holiday, but Bill, his big brother, had played the role of blocker by ensuring that his mum never had the opportunity to question him. Charlie had figured it all out when he was at Hogwarts, so of course his best friend, Nymphadora Tonks, had known as soon as he had worked it out. But Bill, Bill was the first person he came out to, and that was only last year. 

His brother had been confused but he had listened, but it was not likely that his mother would be as accepting. Bill never questioned anything or worried about anything, but his mother, Molly Weasley was a force to be reckoned with. She had expectations for her family, and if you didn’t meet them, well, she would try and change you until you did. 

Charlie didn’t want to change. Sure, he struggled with his sexuality at times, with the fact that he was so different from the norms of society. But he didn’t want to change just to please his mum. He loved her, she was his rock, but this was not something he was ready to let her in on yet. 

“I’ve not had time, the sanctuary is pretty full on, Mum. I was lucky to get the time away to come here.” It was a bald-faced lie. The sanctuary was full on, but that was because he always volunteered to do more. He didn’t mind starting early or staying late if it helped someone else out. And he loved it. 

“I still don’t see why you felt the need to go and study those creatures,” his mum huffed. It was a conversation they had been through numerous times since he had told his parents that he was moving to Romania to study dragons. She seemed to frown at the idea of him following his passion when it took him to another country, but she had no issues when his elder brother, Bill, became a curse breaker and started working with Gringotts. Bill travelled as much as he did, but yet their mum supported that. 

“Because dragons, mum. Dragons are amazing and fascinating creatures.” And there began his response to the conversation of why he never brought anyone home. 

The second time they had that conversation was a mere six months later, and it found them sat in the Burrow for Christmas. Everyone had come home for the holiday, even Bill who normally found an excuse to avoid the hecticness of the Weasley family dinners, and whilst no one had brought their significant others, a lot of the conversations involved them. Except for Charlie; Charlie had no significant other, or interest in one, to discuss. 

The family was all sat around the living room, where a fire was roaring to keep them all warm, but the best of all, was the fact that and they could laugh and catch up on what had been going on for them all whilst most of them had all been out of the house at Hogwarts or working.

The twins, Fred and George, were retelling the story of one of their favourite pranks of the school term. Molly was glaring at them in annoyance at their antics. But it was only a matter of time before she turned her attention onto him. 

Charlie had just walked out of the living room, he needed some peace, away from the laughter that was filling his siblings. He didn’t want to anger them but he knew that they all led very different lives. They were all social creatures, but he was not. They all liked spending time with people, even the bookworm Percy, but Charlie preferred to be outside, and he also preferred to be alone, with the exception of a few people. 

The moment that Charlie turned into the kitchen, he knew that he regretted that he had come home for Christmas. His mum had followed him into the kitchen, and she had that look, the one that always led to the question of why he was alone. And that was the question that he always dreaded. 

“Do you fancy a cuppa, mum?” Charlie knew that he had to start this conversation if he wanted to control the answers that she would accept. But he also wanted to do this in such a way that he could make the conversation as casual as possible. And his very good friend, Tonks, had told him that it was always best to do it with a hot drink, even if she never took the advice for herself.

“Yes, but then can we talk?” The question was innocent enough. But he knew what lay underneath it, he knew that it was more than just a talk. 

“If we must.” He didn’t want to but he knew a denial was not an option. So instead he went about the actions of making himself a cup of coffee and his mum a cup of tea. It was late and he would very likely not sleep if he started drinking coffee now but it also wouldn’t have been the first time. Coffee and the wee early hours of the morning were made for research and self-discovery anyway. 

Thankfully, his mum was quiet and that gave him time to think through his answers, and that meant that he was in control. And if he was in control, then he didn’t have to talk for too long. He wanted nothing more than to be able to come and visit his family without an interrogation, but as that was not going to happen, he needed to shorten the conversations. 

He placed the cup down in front of his mum, before he pulled his own into his grasp and then he sat down opposite her. He would have preferred this to happen where his siblings weren’t likely to walk into the room and overhear whatever was said by his mum. 

“Twice in six months you’ve come home and not once you’ve told me about a girl you are interested in,” Molly had never been subtle, and this time she just jumped straight into the conversation. Normally there was a little bit of asking about what he had been up to, and if he had had anything interesting happen. 

“I’ve already told you, mum. It’s because of the dragons, mum, I’m busy studying the dragons. Once I’ve finished my studying, maybe I’ll see what the future is like. But for now, you’ve got to leave it,” Charlie answered, he said it as firmly as possible. He didn’t want to restart this conversation for any of the rest of his visit home. 

“But Charlie…” 

“No, mum, I don’t need to settle down right now. There is plenty of time to settle down in the future. Just let it lie, mum,” Charlie insisted, he was determined to stop it. He was determined that he would pull away from his mum if he needed to. He was ready to just focus on spending time with his siblings, rather than his parents. 

The third time the conversation happened was when he was on holiday with the rest of his family. The water glistened in a way that brought calmness to the nerves the young man always felt around his family. He loved his family, that much was clear, but he just wanted to keep everything a secret. He didn’t want them to know the things that he kept buried deep inside. He knew that they would never make him out to be a fool or a freak but he was afraid that they would shun him. 

However, what was making him even more nervous was that his mum, who kept giving him the side eye. It was one of those days when everyone was together, enjoying the British summer. The Weasley family had decided to visit the lake, where they had spent many a happy summer day in the past.

He knew that sooner or later he would be pulled aside and asked why he never brought anyone home. And this time it was all his brother, Bill’s, fault. The eldest Weasley son had met the most beautiful woman any of them had ever seen, and had brought her home for the first time. And with that action, he brought Charlie’s excuse of not needing to settle down if his brother hadn’t to a swift end. 

He was content with his life the way it was, he felt no need to change it, or explain it. But here he was, about to be questioned yet again on why he never spoke about a girlfriend or brought one home to meet the family. 

Ron had Hermione, and whilst they were not yet together it was clear to see that they wanted to be, and the same could be said for Ginny and Harry. Meanwhile George was dating Alicia and Fred was going out with Angelina. Percy was still all loved up with Penelope Clearwater. The only one of them who had no significant other was him. 

“When are you going to bring a girl home for us to meet, Charlie?” He could hear the exasperation that his mum was beginning to feel as a result of his lack of forthcoming information on his love life. He knew that she was becoming fed up with his answers and the fact that he always said it was because he was more interested in dragons. 

“I don’t know mum. I’m happy focusing on my work and studies,” He hoped, again, that it would smooth it over as he really did hate this conversation. Every time so far, he would go straight up to his room following the awkward conversation, throw up a Muffliato, and rant about it to Bill, who could be counted on to be accommodating and understanding. 

“You say that every time we have this conversation, Charlie, but how can you still enjoy it if you spend all your time just working and studying?” There was concern in his mum's tone as they watched his siblings and their significant others splash around in the lake. His dad was off walking through the nearby woods which had left only him and his mum on the bank. He wanted to rid her of the worry and concern but he knew it wouldn’t happen this time. 

“Because dragons are amazing, mum. I love being outdoors and I love learning all I can about the dragons. It makes me happy, mum, and I spend time with friends as well, I promise you; I’m happy and you needn’t worry,” The reassurance was there, but he didn’t know how well it had worked. However, she did nod, which he took as a win and confirmation that he had another small while before she quizzed him on his personal life again. 

The sun was low in the sky, painting watery reds and purples for as far as the eye could see. It was a perfect night. It was the end of summer, and whilst it was getting dark there was only a slight hint of the clamminess of the day that was coming to an end. And this was also the fourth time that the conversation was raised. 

For once it was the rest of his family that was outside whilst Charlie was sitting inside. He and Harry, his littlest brother’s best friend, were playing a pretty intense game of Wizard’s Chess, while the others were outside enjoying the last week of summer before they returned to Hogwarts. The only one who wasn’t there was Bill. 

But that meant that the role of oldest sibling, and therefore the threatening of a potential suitor, fell to him. And he was taking great pleasure in the act. He knew that he would never follow through on any of the threats, but Bill would be pleased. 

“You do know that I can reintroduce you to that Hungarian Horntail if you hurt my sister.” The look of terror was enough to make Charlie want to chuckle evilly. He knew that Harry was unlikely to hurt Ginny, in fact it was more likely that Ginny would hurt Harry, but he had an obligation as an older brother to ensure that the young man in front of him knew the consequences should the worst happen. 

“And why would you say that, Charlie?” Trust his mum to appear behind him. He spun in his seat as Harry shook his head and decided on his next move. 

Molly was standing behind him, a frown drilled onto her face, her eyebrows arching towards each other, and worst of all was her stance. Charlie knew that his mum meant business when she was standing with her hands on her hips. It was the stance that she had reserved for whenever she deemed their actions stupid and uncalled for. And clearly, this was one of those times. 

“It’s fine, Mrs Weasley, Charlie just wanted me to know that he wouldn’t be too happy if I was to hurt Ginny. Which I don’t plan on doing.” Charlie had to admit that Harry was pretty convincing and the fact that he was willing to hide that former Gryffindor seeker had essentially threatened him proved his strength of character. It proved that he might just be worthy of Ginny’s affection, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t fun to make him squirm a bit. 

“Harry, dear, why don’t you go and join the others?” And at that exact moment Charlie knew that the conversation he had avoided for a week was going to happen again. It was his last night at the Burrow, and he had actually thought that he would make it home without his mum questioning him about his life. “Charlie, I haven’t managed to catch a single minute with you, how about a cuppa?”

Her tone was innocent and motherly, but he knew it was just a front, because Molly Weasley always got her answer regardless of how many times she had to question something. 

“If you insist, but honestly mum, nothing’s changed since the last time I was home. Really, all I am doing is working at the sanctuary. And before you ask, I like working there because dragons are amazing.” Charlie never got a chance to continue his well-practiced objections, as Harry rose to his feet and made his way out to enjoy the laughter and fun of the sunset activities at the Burrow. 

“There’s a nice girl, a witch, in the next village over…” His mum was going to push the point. He could just tell, but instead, he cut her off. He didn’t like to lie to his mum, but this time he had to do something to stop her from setting him up. He wasn’t ready to deal with the dating world. He had taken a brief step into the dating pool but he couldn’t stand the amount of desire for physical affection. He loved to spend his time with his friends, but even then it could all become too much. 

“Mum, I’ve been talking to a girl, you don’t have to worry. I’ll let you know if it becomes anything more.” He had talked to a girl, they had even gone on two dates, but she couldn’t handle the fact that he was asexual and had no interest in having sex. He liked company, but he needed a chance for peace and quiet, he needed to be able to be himself. He wasn’t a loner, but he also wasn’t the sort of person who got into the middle of things and liked being in a crowd. “I promise, you don’t have to worry.” 

Molly was happier with this response, but he knew it was a lie and he would never update her on this girl. He would never have the sort of future that she had foreseen for him. He was just too different from the majority of the population - muggle and wizarding alike. 

“Tell me about her?” 

“Not yet mum, I don’t want to jinx it.” Again it was a lie, but he was more than happy to keep it like that until he was ready to tell her. But that wouldn’t be for a good long while. “Let’s go join the others watching the sunset,” he suggested before he stood up and held out his arm to his mother. He was willing to pretend that he was the same as his siblings if it kept her happy and stopped the worried look that was always shot in his direction. 

The fifth time he was forced into a conversation regarding who he was seeing was actually when he was in Egypt again, and started with him thinking cursed thoughts towards his friends. Vacation was what his friends - yes, he had friends - at the Dragon Sanctuary called it, when he went home to visit his family. Vacation, meaning a holiday, a time to relax and enjoy himself. But that was never the case when he went home. 

He had a lot more time to go home than he let his mum believe, but as he sat just outside his older brother's small house in Egypt, he wondered whether it might have been a better idea to have visited home a lot more. He had always been planning to come and visit Bill for a month, but hadn’t set a date with the slightly older Weasley. He had an open invitation anyway so it hadn’t mattered whether he let Bill know beforehand or not. 

However, he had arrived here just an hour or so earlier, to find that his mum and sister were also visiting Bill. Charlie was the first to admit that he did everything he could to avoid his mum now. Whenever his mum was around, he had to hide himself, he had to pretend to be something that he wasn’t. He had to pretend that he didn’t get a pit in his stomach, and the desire to hide, whenever his mum looked at him in wonderment when he had nothing to add to a conversation about who they were dating. 

Now Bill had taken Ginny off to see something new and exciting he had discovered, which left Charlie without anyone to run interference. He had no one to divert the conversation from himself and his lack of a romantic life to someone else or something else. He started counting down slowly.

Five. 

Four. 

Three. 

Two. 

One. 

“Charlie, are you dating anyone?” There was the godforsaken question. The one that brought what was meant to be a relaxing vacation to a shuddering, hellish stop. It filled him with dread, and anger. 

“Not yet, mum. I promise I will let you know when I start seeing anyone, but right now I’m happy, mum,” He hoped that would be enough, but as soon as he looked at his mum, he saw the look in her eyes. He knew that look, it was the look that said she wasn’t giving up anytime soon. She wanted a definitive answer, and he had not given her one yet. 

Thankfully, before she could push the subject, his brother and sister reappeared. Bill had always been his guardian angel when it came to protecting him from anything that Bill had deemed a threat. And whilst it sounded harsh, that had sometimes been their mum and her need to pry. 

Their arrival stopped the conversation for now, but he knew he was soon going home for the so-called vacation that everyone talked about at the sanctuary. It was only a few weeks until he would be back there for yet more prying and wondering. 

It was a beautiful summer's day, and honestly Charlie had to admit that he had turned into a bit of a child. He was home visiting his parents and as such that had resulted in him, his siblings and Harry playing a friendly, okay it was meant to be a friendly game of Quidditch. They always played Quidditch over the corn fields. 

So when the game was over, and he had managed to knock his older brother, Bill, to the ground, the resulting wrestling match happened within the field of corn. They pushed and shoved and laughed and laughed. 

But this time, once it was over Charlie knew that his brothers and sister would go and sit with their respective partners, and he would be left to face his mum. He knew that this time was the time that he would tell his mum the real reason why he was the only one who didn’t have a significant other. This was it. 

He walked forlornly back up to the Burrow, his brothers and sister were jostling each other to see who would reach the bathroom for a shower first. Charlie didn’t care, he just wanted to continue sitting in the sunshine outside. 

That was one thing that he had never outgrown, enjoying being outside, the sun slightly burning his now near permanently tanned skin. But he also wanted to be outside of the hustle and bustle of his childhood home when he had this conversation with his mum. If he had to take her disowning him for not meeting her expectations then he would rather just leave with no one trying to stop him or having witnessed it. 

It was mere minutes later that Molly Weasley, his mum, appeared next to him. She had aged since the death of Fred, and he could see it clearly, but he could only hope that this wasn’t going to age her further. He was ready to tell his mum, and evidently the rest of his family, but he wasn’t prepared to lose them. 

“Charlie, why do you never bring anyone home?” Molly asked him this question, or near enough this exact question, every time that he came home and his siblings had brought their partners. He had always replied that he loved working in the Dragon Sanctuary, that he was happy focusing on that now and there was time for relationships later.

“Mum, I need you to listen to me. Just let me say this, okay?” He waited patiently, his hands covering her own as he turned his body to face her. He wasn’t ready to lose his family, but he couldn’t keep lying. 

He could feel his heart racing, and he hadn’t even told her yet. But he drew in a deep breath when Molly nodded. 

“I’m asexual, mum.” 

Silence filled the space between them. The wind blowing lightly through the corn and the clambering of his siblings inside the house was all that he could hear. He could feel his heart begin to race faster the longer it took his mum to respond. And then she did. 

“I don’t understand.” That was something that he could understand. He had explained it twice before, once to Tonks and once to Bill. He could explain to his mum, and hopefully, hopefully she would understand. Hopefully she would accept him. 

“I don’t like girls, mum,” he started to explain, but she cut him off quickly. 

“I don’t care if you like men, Charlie, neither will your father.” He knew that she was trying to reassure him, but he kind of wished that she had given him a chance to explain first. He just wanted to have this part over with. 

“No mum, I don’t like men or women, or anyone! Mum, I’m not attracted to anyone, and I never have been!” He could feel the tears of frustration and self-hatred biting at his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He wanted to have this over with. He wanted to know what his mum had to say. 

“Okay, love, it's okay,” she promised as she pulled her hands from his grasp, and in those few seconds he felt his heart break, but then she gathered him in her arms. Her hug was as tight as ever and just like normal. “Me and your dad don’t have any problems with that.” 

Charlie couldn’t help but sob in relief as she held him close and he let the fact that she had accepted him fill his heart. 


End file.
